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It might be just a dream of yours. Or, at least a gauzy vision inspired by a romantic movie.

You awaken in your beachside hotel that overlooks the azure Atlantic ocean with warm beige sand. That swirl of white crescent wave and bit of blue out your window couldn’t be more calming. That’s because I’ve come here to get married—and the scene set by the beach and ocean is nature’s altar and wedding decoration.

Set amid the United States’ longest state shoreline, far flung enough from the snowy north, the serene ocean beckons as a haven. It’s the place for a bride and groom to hide out (although, if you visit, you’re like to glimpse one) for honeymooners hankering to focus on one another, and for families who understand the concept that sometimes doing nothing at all is really doing everything.

With 175 hotels to choose from — some that dot the very edge of the beach from high-rises to a colonial styles, and a handful of two-and-three-or five bedroom villas to rent for a week, scatter down the shoreline like tide-deposited seashells, South Florida makes the perfect place for a destination wedding of any size.

Our couples do bring smaller groups, 10 – 50 or so, and hold ceremonies on the beach, on the verandahs of sea-facing hotels, and in the gardens and parks in the area. Some brides and grooms come alone, choosing to make this their day alone, and letting the Ideal I Do’s wedding-planners organize every romantic detail.

There’s plenty to amuse kids here as well. Besides sandcastle-building, South Florida offers a bevy of beach toys and activities, from stand-up paddleboards, to sailboats, jet skis to bikes, and we can organize scavenger and outings to kid-pleasing places such as Jungle Island, and the everglades as well.

Wedding guests, groomsmen and maids can likewise entertain themselves. Besides the hotel pools, often ringed by linen-capped day beds, Ideal I Do’s offers to organize daily fitness walks on the beach with breakfast, and customizes itineraries to include sunset cruises, snorkeling expeditions, diving outings, and deep sea fishing adventures.

Around the world, and here in America, beach destination weddings are continuing to rise in popularity, with new and unique ideas by brides and grooms taking the lead. Wedding professionals like Ideal I Do’s appreciate the personal touches available to everyone.

EXOTIC LOCATIONS

Beach escapes will always be popular. Florida is always at the top of the list as there are 800 miles of beaches to choose from.

PERSONALIZATION

Each couple has a story to tell of their journey into love and down the aisle. This journey is an important part of their narrative, and is the motivation behind personalization. Gone are the days of pre-planned, formulaic destination wedding packages, built for convenience over individuality. Today’s couples are exercising their influence over ceremony spots, rituals, menus, favors, attire and entertainment.

GOING GREEN

Paying attention to our planet is no longer a trend, but a mandate to many wedding couples and young wedding couples today are accustomed to exercising their influence over their environment. Opportunities to conserve and preserve are plentiful, also in destination weddings. Ideal I Do’s offers the best option in “leave no trace – do no harm” philosophy. We never leave anything behind except it it is natural and organic, such as real rose petals from the aisle. Florida also has green resorts and eco-friendly restaurants.

Eco friendly can be budget friendly too! Couples are turning to “save the date” e-cards as well as recycled paper for their stationery needs. Sustainable organic flowers and using local in-season food appeal to couples wanting to tie the knot away at the beach while still honoring their commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.

Unique Couples Choose Unique Weddings

Long on the forefront of marriage equality, Ideal I Do’s applauds Florida’s law endorsing same-sex weddings.

CULTURAL TRADITIONS

Couples love to include traditions and customs from their heritage on their special day, and there’s no reason to think this can’t be done at a destination. With an understanding of this need, select destination wedding resorts offer cultural wedding packages. From kosher cuisine for Jewish weddings and long celebrated experiences for Hindu weddings to seaside Catholic wedding chapels, an increasing number of venues seek to tailor their packages to meet every couple’s needs.

GROUP EXCURSIONS

Ideal I Do’s website is full of local south Florida attractions. What better way to include some quality time with friends and family? Whether it’s a sightseeing tour or a boating adventure, fishing, arranging excursions for the group is a fun way to include everyone in the festivities. Group activities also pave the way for an amazing collection of images, as destination wedding photographers continue to offer more extensive coverage in an effort to capture the entire trip.

Traditionally, dressing your groom is not so different as dressing your bride. You want to look like the groom – not a guest! But any way you slice it, a beach wedding just makes it even easier. First of all – think about your shoes and build it from there. Sandals? Loafers? Sneakers? Even if the wedding is a “formal one” the shoes still need to be ones that you don’t mind hitting the sand. There is truly an inherent informality of any event taking place at the beach; this doesn’t mean that you can’t look neat and like you’re getting married! There are few more elegant looks than the beige shorts and button down gauzy white shirt. But it may be a good idea to leave the tuxes at home as you don’t want to faint from the heat and the sun, they aren’t all that beachy.

Location, Location, Location.

When deciding on the groom’s attire for a beach wedding, the precise location of the wedding is a real consideration. Will you be actually on the sand or near the sand? If you’ll be just in a beach town, and not on the beach, your attire could run from the blazer to the tux. You can even change after the ceremony! Take your cue from the bride. What is her ideal vision of the wedding party? Is she going to change clothes?

If you’re outside, but not right on the beach, the tuxedo would still be ok – But if you choose trousers in a color ranging from cream to shale, a crisp white shirt, and an understated tie, the look will be timeless, elegant and not too formal.

A variation of this look is ideal if you decide to conduct the ceremony right on the beach. Feel free to throw away the ties and unbutton the top button of your shirts. Comfortable, casual and classic are key – if you want to look at your wedding pictures 40 years from now and still love them!

Take A Picture of Yourself.

Do a dry run – even go to the beach if you can in the clothes you are going to wear and see if they seem right to you.

• The blazer, white shirt and light-colored trousers (as mentioned)

• The linen suit in a lighter color such as sand or wheat. Avoid white.

• A navy blue, charcoal or black tropical wool suit with a white shirt and dark tie — a look worn by the late JFK Jr.

• A white linen shirt and dark trousers.

• Stone-colored khaki shorts and a solid-colored shirt, if you’ve decided to be very casual.

Look around you. Look at the colors around you at the beach – blue and green hues, and natural browns and tropical colors are colors to complement the beach setting. The day will be perfect.

1 To avoid being a stressed out beach bride – it’s good to start a checklist of everything that needs to be packed, add to it every time you think of something, and double check it the night before you leave. This will avoid you being so overwhelmed with last minute details and leave you a calm beautiful bride. Nothing ruins a beach wedding like stress!

2 Don’t check-in your wedding gown, veil, shoes, groom’s attire or anything else that you’ll need on your wedding day. Call the airline ahead of time and ask them for rules of carry ons in this situation.

3 Packing your gown in a proper garment bag – not plastic. If it gets wrinkles, don’t worry – you can ask your wedding planner if they can recommend a service to press it to smooth or the hotel may have a service too.

4 Don’t ship anything important to your destination if you are going international – this is another reason to stay within the US for your beach destination wedding – there have been many horror stories where decorations or favors get held up in customs or lost in transit and never make it in time for the wedding day. Come to Florida!

5 If you’re traveling with favors or items that can break, use your clothes or towels to wrap them up and stuff them in the center of your suitcase so that they’re padded on the top and bottom.

6 Here’s a good general packing tip: Put your socks and underwear inside your shoes to make extra room.

7 If you can, try to roll your clothes instead of folding, and shove them in every nook and cranny of your luggage – don’t forget the outside pockets! Better to take a smaller suitcase and make use of every inch.

8 Check the zippers!!! Make sure they won’t break with the pressure on them – then once your luggage seems full, zip it up and sit or stand on it This will make just a little more room to add some more beach clothes.

9 Put all liquids (sunblock!!) inside zip lock bags and place them on top so that if they burst open in transit they wont dirty all your clothes. Remember you can always buy stuff at your destination that’s travel size and hotels always supply at least shampoo and soap so don’t pack these – use screw top bottles!!!

10 If you are bringing stuff you will use at the wedding and not take home, you won’t need as much luggage on your way back home so avoid paying excess luggage fees by packing your decorations and favors in an old suitcase or duffle bag that you can leave behind. Bags are inspected so use a TSA approved lock. And don’t pack anything illegal!!! LOL!

Ideal I Do’s knows there is a constant quest to perfect the art of the beautiful, simple, affordable beach wedding. We believe that the bride and groom know better than anyone how to bring in key elements to make their wedding even more special and we are here to help in that effort. We have seen some of the most thoughtful details included in Florida beach ceremonies that just do so much to make the whole thing feel more intimate, romantic and memorable.
As they say: “the devil is in the details”. In the midst of the Pinterest, Blog, DIY wedding craze, we have one piece of advice: keep it simple. Repeat this mantra when your to-do list is getting so long you start to panic at the sight of it. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with ideas, especially when it is so much fun to click through gorgeous picture after picture of wedding detail inspiration.

Here’s a method to quell the madness: Surf the internet, make a Pinterest board, fold over pages in bridal magazines, and just take a little time to let yourself dream of your big day.

Then, talk to your fiancé – remember him/her? and choose three details to focus on. It doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money, it can be anything from a special gift for your bridal party, a family heirloom tied up in your bridal bouquet or a thoughtful message to your guests on a chalkboard…
Ideal I Do’s takes good care of the major things: the physical setup – arch, aisle chairs, the officiant, photography, music, etc. So you can let yourself have fun with your special details: like the vows and any special guests that you would like to participate in your wedding. Call us if you need help!!! 800-643-3254.

Ideal I Do’s has always supported same sex weddings in south Florida because we believe in the civil rights of all Americans. We have a high profile gay community here especially in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and for our community equality in love has finally come to Florida. As of January 6th, 2015, anyone can get married in the state of Florida.

We have been performing commitment ceremonies for years and we are thrilled to be finally able to offer weddings now to our same sex couples. We would love the opportunity to create the most romantic and celebratory gay beach wedding for you and your future spouse!

Plan an affordable and elegant beach wedding with Ideal I Do’s!!! We can provide you with the perfect beach wedding ceremony to celebrate your love for one another. Celebrating your love for each other can not wait, it should be made beautiful for all and there could not be a better place than on the beautiful South Florida beach. We serve your from Key Biscayne, to Fort Lauderdale to the Palm Beaches to the Treasure Coast, and we will package the perfect beach gay beach wedding ceremony for you.
Whether you would like a traditional elegant beach ceremony or perhaps something more quirky, lighthearted, fun and untraditional, let Ideal I Do’s help make your day perfect. You can dress in formal wedding attire or jump off the beaten path and create your own stylish and unique ceremony! Design your wedding from any of Ideal I Do’s packages or from our Design Your Own Custom Ceremony.

If you always envisioned getting married on the beach in a big hippie love fest, complete with champagne and refreshments, you have come to the right place – South Florida’s best beach wedding planner, Ideal I Do’s.

Is there a private beach here? NO. There is not a “private beach” in the United States – there’s private access to the beach – but no private beach. The reality of getting married on the beach is that beaches very rarely offer the same freedoms as private property. Also some people have serious aversions to sand, and consider it a glorified form of dirt. But beach weddings are beautiful and at Ideal I Do’s you don’t have to throw a large chunk of cash at an all-in-one beach resort type place.

The following tips won’t guarantee you the best beach wedding ever. They are my tips for getting you the most bang for your buck, in terms of both finances and the amount of effort you have to put in to pull it off.

Enough rambling. Here are the meat and potatoes:

1.) This may seem like a no-brainer, but pick a date that is not in the middle of a school break!! I’m not sure what that means to the West Coast, but for us South Floridians, that means any time between Christmas and New Years, Easter week, President’s week. The weather will still be stunning, all year round!

We must follow the laws of the local municipality. No exceptions! Look at our packages for guidance as to what we are allowed to do – we can’t make fires for instance – so no Japanese lanterns – sorry!!!

Have the ceremony on the beach and the reception at a restaurant! We can help you find one! South Florida has wonderful beach restaurants to choose from!

Our Unique Beach Ceremony

Each “Ideal I Do’s Beach Wedding” ceremony is customized to fit the needs of the couple. With our beach ceremony package options, All of our packages start with an officiant, decorations and a high definition video. Each wedding couple is different, and each ceremony is different, from the vows, music, and decor. We offer weddings, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies, and elopements to all kinds and budgets.

Discover the beautiful beaches of South Florida

The beautiful beaches of Miami, Delray, Boca, Ft. Lauderdale, and Palm Beach offer the perfect setting for a romantic and unique Sun and Sea Beach ceremony. If you are looking for a West Coast of Florida Beach Wedding, Naples is your best choice!

Feeling creative…Write your own.

We offer several wedding vows to guide your words, including traditional and creative and modern , as well as ring exchange vowsto choose from. You can also add that personal touch and write your own. We will help you with that too!

Children can be included throughout the ceremony as well as your guests with our creative sand ceremony. It will be a memorable day for everyone involved.

Get personal with your decorations! We have all colors, flowers and fabrics!

Some couples have the traditional wedding party. Instead of flower girls on the beach, we have “seashell girls” tossing seashells from a basket along the beach… the ring bearer carries a treasure chest to hold the rings.

Throw blessing shells into the water!

You can also include other family members or friends in any of our beach wedding package ceremonies. They can lead in a prayer, read a poem, or sing, whatever you want!

Want to remember someone special – they are with you in heart and spirit of course. We put a seat with a rose on to for a couple to want to remember a lost loved one at no charge. There are numerous ways in which this can be incorporated into a Ideal I Do’s Beach Wedding Ceremony. Give us a call and we can discuss.

You are safe in the hands of our staff, we are your Beach Wedding Specialists for the beaches of South East and South West Florida.

When you are planning your beach wedding really your dream wedding! One of the things we need to plan for is weather! In Florida, summer storms are pretty predictable in terms of timing – they blow through around the same time every day and pass very quickly. Moreoever, there are seasons when the weather is much more temperate (not as hot/humid) and the chance of rain is next to nil.Choose October – April and you will generally be ok!

It’s not *always* windy! But it can be breezy! We give our brides until two hours before the wedding to decide whether to do a backup location, based on the forecast. Yes, a little windy in the evening, but it calms down at sundown, in plenty of time for the ceremony. There are also plenty of venues that have an indoor “backup plan” in case of expected rain – some are gorgeous rooms with windows overlooking the water. Take a look at the Marriott in Delray Beach!

I say if it’s always been your dream, don’t give it up so easily! At least research your options/timing/weather/etc. first. If I can answer any questions or make suggestions, feel free to contact us!